Converging around ‘Cultural Values’
Jun 13th, 2012 by Chris
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We live in a fascinating time. Lots of people are recognising deep systemic problems (e.g. that infinite growth can’t work forever on a finite planet, that excessive concentrations of wealth in the hands of ‘the few’ won’t be tolerated forever by the many, that the most common ‘way of being’ in the world isn’t serving to make a majority of people happy etc etc). Lots of people want to do something to contribute to big change, but they realise that the depth and complexity of the problem(s) require(s) a collective shift and not just individual actions.
How can people best come together to create the future they want ?
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Over the last year, I have been privileged to work with local communities seeking to come together to be the best they can be in the context they face (e.g. Borrisokane in North Tipperary and the ‘We Made This’ project in South Inner City Cork) and with loose networks seeking to become non-bureaucratic learning and sharing Communities of Practice (e.g. The Community Garden Network). I have also worked increasingly with initiatives that seek to work across conventional sectoral silos (e.g. The Art of Hosting and ALIA Institute – Authentic Leadership in Action). All of these initiatives are, I believe, part of an emerging, bigger, deeper shift in values in our society.
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The nature of that bigger, deeper shift is illuminated in a short text called ‘The Common Cause Handbook’ produced by the Public Interest Research Centre in the UK and downloadable from
– this opens up a conversation around ‘cultural values’ and in particular the need to foster ‘intrinsic values’ in order to create a more compassionate society and a better world.
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I am delighted to be part of welcoming Tom Crompton to Ireland. Tom is a Change Strategist at WWF-UK and is coming to speak on June 20th as part of Cultivate’s Convergence Festival in Dublin City Hall (full details below). This event is part of Ireland’s response to the Rio +20, the UN Conference marking the 20th Anniversary of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro
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EVENT DETAILS
20th June, Dublin City Hall, Dame Street, Dublin 2
Organised by Cultivate as part of the Festival of Transition, which is taking place across Europe coinciding with the first day of Rio +20, the UN Conference marking the 20th Anniversary of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
10.30 – 12.30 Green Travel Incubator * A free event as part of Bike Week
An innovative process highlighting a number of green travel projects and providing support for projects and businesses is the sustainable transport sector. This event will generate rapid peer-to-peer input to help take breakthrough ideas to the next level.
14.00 -17.00 Conversations for the Future We Want * €15
This afternoon session will showcase breakthrough ideas and bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to explore our understanding of cultural values and consider how we can best collaborate to achieve the future we want.
- Breakthrough Ideas for the Future We Want Short presentations on projects, technologies, and business ideas that represent cutting-edge innovation, collaboration and sustainability in the transport, building, food, and community sector
- Conversation Provocation by Tom Crompton, co-author of ‘Common Cause: The Case for Working with our Cultural Values’. Tom will give a short presentation on the importance of cultural values in driving change, and at the ways those values are shaped. This understanding reveals a major connection between a vast array of major issues – sustainability, racism, human rights, community welfare, climate change, youth and older people exclusion and biodiversity loss.
- Intergenerational Conversations for the Future We Want Using an interactive, positive and engaging format this session will bring representatives from government, local authorities, business, civil society, NGOs and communities as well as older and younger people together to examine values more closely and to explore opportunities to bring about lasting, systemic change.
http://convergence.cultivate.ie
Bookings convergence@cultivate.ie
The Change Exploratory is the creation of Chris Chapman, a leading host of conversations that matter.
The Change Exploratory supports leaders through coaching and mentoring and and also in the design and facilitation of great events and transformative change processes.